The next naval event of importance in the North Sea was a German raid on Yarmouth, 2 Nov. 1914. Three German battle cruisers, two armored cruisers and three light cruisers composed the raiding party. They appeared be fore Yarmouth at eight in the morning and bombarded the place for 15 minutes at a 10-mile range. Little damage was done because of the long range, and on their return to Germany one of the armored cruisers, the Yore& struck a mine and sank. The purpose of the expedi tion seems to have been to see if such ccuild be made. From the accounts in the British newspapers the German authorities had a go,d opportunity to see the effects and to observe m what manner the next attempt could be made an improvement The next attempt came on 16 December with a squadron of three battle cruisers, and we armored and one light cruiser under Rear Admiral Funcke. The expedition reached a point off the coast of EngLind north of Fiam borough Head, Yorkshire, in the early morning, the weather being foggy and cold. Dividing into two columns, one proceeded to attack Scarborough and Whitby and the other at tacked Hartlepool. At Scarborough the tcrwn was shelkd for 45 minutes. Many shells were fired at a wireless station in die suburbs, btrt many others were sent without discrimination into the thickly populated residential sections. C.hurches, hotels, the gas-works, the water works, and whatever building was large enough to attract attention became targets. Nor could the attackers plead inability to distingash ob jects from a distance; for the shots were di rected as much into the residential district when the ships were but 500 yards from the shore as when five miles away. Eighteen persons were killed, most of them women and children, and about 70 were wounded. Passing north the column steamed past Whitby firing all the time and killing five and wounding two persons. The second column opened fire on Hartlepool about eight o'cloric. A small gun boat and two destroyers in front of the place were forced to flee frcan a vastly superior attacking force. A small fort with antiquated guns stood in front of the town, garrisoned by some Territorials, who manned the guns and returned shot for shot, but vrithout effect. One of the attacking ships gave her especial atten. don to this battery. The other made an in discriminate attack on the civillan portion of the town. The gas-works were destroyed, one of the shipbuilding yards was damaged, churches, schools and hospitals were hit, and the streets were severely damaged. The killed numbered 119 and the wounded more titan 300. Among those injured were several children on the way to school.
These attacks were evidently made to strike terror in the minds of the British people. They had another effect. To shoot down old men, women and children was horrible and exasperat ing to the British, who have ever prided them selves on their humanity for the defenseless. The story of the attacks of 2 November and 16 December stimulated the war spirit in Great Britain and promoted volunteering. It was an argument for war that the most ignorant could understand. Of the four towns assailed in these two raids, only one, Hartlepool, had fortifications of any kind, and the old fort at that place was inconsequential. In delivering the assaults the Germans, who must have known the conditions on shore, showed no desire to distinguish between public losses and losses to be infheted on private individuals.
The raids were hailed as deeds of heroism in Germany, as in fact they deserved to be hailed, in so far as it was not concerned with the attacks on civilian non-combatants. The British fleet was keeping a most careful watch, with plans made to destroy whatever German naval force should emerge from the protected areas of their foes. To sally forth and take a turn in the very centre of the enemy's waters was a courageous deed. The second raid cazne near being a perilous one; for the British fleet was prepared for such an attack and instantly set out to trap the raiders. As the British came within eight miles of them the fog in tervened and gave the Germans an opportunity to escape unscathed.
On 24 Jan. 1915, Rear-Admiral Hipper with three battle cruisers, six light cruisers and a flotilla of destroyers set out from Wilhelms haven to make a third raid. The British navy seems to have had an intimation of what was coming. That morning Vice-Admiral Beatty with six battle cruisers, four light cruisers of the "town" class and three others, and a number of destroyers steamed out into the North Sea. About 7 A.M. the Germans were sighted off the Dogger Bank and turned to flee. The British pursued and having faster ships overhauled them, running, not behind their enemy, for fear of mines, but on a parallel course Soon after nine the interval was 10 miles and Beatty, -who led in the Lion, opened fire. One of the German battle cruisers, the Bluecher, had a speed of only 24 miles and began to fall behind, and her fate was soon sealed. As the pursuing ships overhauled the Bluecher each took shots at her. Finally a torpedo struck her in a vital part and she turned over and sank. Her crew jumped into the water and boats from a British crusier began to rescue them, when German aircraft appeared and dropped bombs, probably under the itnpression that it was a British vessel that was sinking. Mean while Beatty's flagship, the Lion, was damaged by a shell so that it had to abandon the fight. lie transferred his flag to a destroyer and afterward got aboard a battle cruiser, but for a time the command was with Rear-Admiral Moore, who decided that it was better to cut short the pursuit. He had come within 70 miles of the German mine-fields and believed that Admiral Hipper WaS trying to lead him into a trap. The escape of the Germans was a great disappointment to the British. In the fight off the Dogger Bank all the advantage of weight, range and speed was against the Germans. The British people, who naturally wanted strilcing results, thought Hipper should have been sur rounded and crushed; but prudence directed that the best ships of the British for speed and offense combined should not be placed too near the mine-fields. The Germans lost the battle cruiser, Bluecher, and had two other battle cruisers seriously damaged. 'The British lost no ship, but the Lion was so badly damaged that it was necessary to tow her, and it was with difficulty that she was talcen into a home port. Soon after this battle the German gov ernment removed Admiral von Ingenohl and gave the command of the fleet to Admiral von Pohl.